Reunited and Torn Apart
by Link's Rose
Summary: Erik Lensherr is reunited with one of his ten year old daughters when in Miami. How will the story change with Krista - and eventually her twin Heidi - in the mix? XMFC AU.
1. Chapter 1

Edited plot bunny. I don't own XMFC unfortunately.

* * *

"Leave me alone!" Erik heard a young voice shout defiantly. It was female, and couldn't be more than nine years old. He had just arrived in Miami.

"Krista Adams get back here right now!" a woman's voice yelled, and he saw a woman standing on the porch of a house as the girl, who indeed looked about nine or ten years old, stood on the grass below.

"No! _You_ are not my mother, _you_ are not my father, and I am not an Adams! _Ich bin Krista Aranel Lensherr! Nicht Adams!_" Erik froze on the spot, looking at the little fair-skinned blonde girl. His thoughts were a jumbled mess._ Ava. Wife. Love. Pregnant. Babies. Twins. Krista. Heidi. Three years old. Housefire. Missing. Dead. Funeral. Shaw. **Revenge**._

The man who had joined the woman on the porch walked up to the girl slowly.

"Krista, your parents abandoned you. We adopted you. You are our daughter." he said, his voice almost a growl. Erik's blood boiled, but he continued to play the silent observer.

"No I'm not! Vati will find me! And Heidi!" she all but screamed. Erik's eyes widened marginally when a metal lawn ornament that stood in the ground wrapped itself around the man tightly.

"I did the bad thing.." Krista suddenly whispered fearfully, trying to unwind the coiled iron flower ornament, but it wouldn't budge. Then it seemed the woman noticed Erik watching.

"What are you lookin' at?" she demanded, her voice holding a Texan twang. Erik walked up and, holding up a hand, returned the lawn ornament to its previous state in the ground.

"_My_ daughter. I've been looking for her for years." he lied. Well, the last part was. As he studied the child, he could definitely see a resemblance to his late wife, and himself, in her face. Apparently Krista recognized him as well. Her eyes welled with unshed tears as they widened.

"Vati!" she cried, launching herself at him. He knelt down, hugging her to him. Erik had always thought Schmidt had taken everything from him. But his daughter that he had not seen for years, who was crying into his shoulder, was solid proof that he still had something.

"Hush, Liebling. I'm here." he whispered, hugging her close to him, crooning in German to calm her down. _"Mein kleines mädchen... Ich liebe dich, mein liebling. Ich liebe dich sehr._" he breathed. _(My little girl... I love you, my darling. I love you very much.) _

_"Du hast mich gefunden...Sie sind hier." (You found me. You're here.)_

_"Ich bin hier. Ich bin hier. Ich werde mich nicht Sie jemals wieder zu verlassen. Ich verspreche." (I'm here. I'm here. I'm not going to leave you ever again. I promise.)_ Erik reassured.

Their reunion was cut short at the moment, though, as the Adams' made themselves known.

"Take her then! I never want to see that demon-child again!" Mrs. Adams yelled as she and her husband ran into the house, slamming and locking the door behind them. Erik couldn't care less, as he got to his feet. Schmidt was still in his mind. Caspartina, his yacht, was at the pier. He looked into the sky. It was very nearly dark, and he was torn.

"_Liebst_, are you afraid of the dark?" he asked quietly, coming to an agreement with himself. Krista shook her head. He smiled slightly. "Good. We have somewhere we need to go." he said, picking up the girl and slipping her onto his back, secretly delighting in her playful giggle as she wrapped her arms around his neck, and her legs around his waist.

* * *

"I couldn't find you.." Krista suddenly said, once the sun set. "I tried so hard to find you again, but there is only so much a four year old can do..." she explained quietly. Erik's heart clenched painfully at the sadness in her voice.

"Then one day, barely two months after the fire, I was adopted, by Mr. and Mrs. Adams. I didn't want to leave Heidi, but they only wanted me. I didn't figure it out until we came to America that they only adopted me to make themselves look better. Six years passed since, and I got fed up with them. They didn't allow me to try and find you, and they got angry when I spoke German. One day I was just so angry, and I moulded the dining room chandelier into a ball, just by making a fist in my hand. After then they called me horrid names and ignored me more. Today was just the last straw..." Krista trailed off. Aside from his anger, Erik was surprised at his child's intellect, though she was already forming sentences at the age of three, her sister as well.

"We're here." he said as they reached the pier, the yacht Caspartina clearly visible.

"Why are we at the pier Vati?" Krista asked quietly. He quietly knocked on the door to the home of his contact, who was giving him what he'd need to get to the private dock unnoticed. The door opened immediately, and a shady looking man led the two inside, Krista going progressively closer to her father. Until they were forced to separate, when Erik had to get into the wetsuit the man had given him.

_"Bleib hier, Krista. Ich komme wieder." (Wait here, Krista. I'll be back.)_ Erik said with a parting kiss to her forhead before he went to change. When he came out he saw Krista looked very determined about something.

"She wants to accompany you. Nothing I'm saying is swaying her." his contact, Damon Nevarez said helplessly. Erik frowned.

"She and Heidi alike always had their mother's stubborn streak." he muttered. Damon chuckled.

"If it's that bad, I have one of my daughter's suits around here." he offered semi-jokingly, secretly hoping he didn't have to watch her when Erik said no. Erik surprised himself with the fact he was even considering saying 'Yes'. Yes, his daughter had the same abilities as him, and was incredibly smart, but...

"My friend's dad taught me self-defense! He said I'm really good at karate!" she exclaimed with a pout. She was actually incredible, if one were to quote the father of her friend, whom Krista had downed in less than ten seconds. Erik sighed. Damon smirked that smirk that said 'She's got you wrapped around her little fingers.'

"If you insist on coming with me, you do exactly as I say. If I tell you to stay, you stay. I tell you to run, you run. Understand?" he said, kneeling slightly in front of the ten year old as Damon went to track down the aforementioned wetsuit, looking her in the eye with a serious expression on his face. She nodded solemnly.

"Yes Vati." she said, her serious understanding written all over her face, and it was in her tone as well as Damon quickly returned. When he sent her to change, she flushed red, embarrassed, and motioned for Erik to come closer.

"I need help." she whispered in his ear, still red. He chuckled.

"Nothing to be ashamed of, _Liebling_." he promised, silently explaining to the curious Damon before going back to where he had changed, Krista in tow.

Both exited rather quickly, Krista giggling about something. She looked a lot more like her father; she wore a black wetsuit, though hers was accented with red sleeves, she still wore her nondescript black shoes, and her shoulder-length blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail.

Damon could definitely see a resemblance - to both of her parents. Ava's blonde hair, her fair skin, her nose. She had Erik's eyes, and the rest of his face. And his thin but muscular build, which was a surprise.

"Well you certainly look like your Papi." he commented with a smirk. Krista rolled her eyes, but giggled. They left the house on the oceanfront from the patio, with gracious thanks from Erik to Damon.

"Don't thank me, just get rid of Schmidt." he said seriously in answer. Erik nodded before slipping into the water. He was surprised when Krista neatly dove in, surfacing several feet away.

"Gymnastics." she said in answer to his questioning expression.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Shorter chapter. I give credit for "Charlotte" Xavier to AStudyinTeal, because she gave me the idea._

* * *

_'I can't believe I took her with me. This is foolish. I should have made her stay with Damon.'_ Erik thought as they finally reached the Caspartina. He glared at the side of the yacht. There was no visible way to get up. No ladder, no rope, nothing. Then he got an idea.

"Get onto my back, and hold on tight." he ordered quietly. Krista did so, and Erik used his metallokinesis, he pulled himself up the side of the yacht, climbing up easily. He stopped, however, once they were almost where Schmidt was.

"Stay here." he said quietly, striding forward into view, a knife in his hand. _"Herr Doktor."_ Krista couldn't see the other people on there.

_"Little Erik Lensherr."_ She'd only heard that voice once before, and it made her shudder delicately.

"He's here to kill you. He has someone with him." a woman's voice said before Erik gasped in pain, his hands flying to the sides of his head. Krista's eyes widened in horror as she watched her father sink to his knees. Orders be damned, she was going to help him. She thought this as she ran into view, trying to shield her father. Apparently it wasn't working.

"What kind of greeting is that? After all these years." Schmidt said, sounding disappointed.

"_Krista_.." Erik gasped out, reaching out with one arm to pull her to him before he used the other to hurl the knife at Schmidt. But something caught it, as the pain of old memories faded in his head. Where the woman had been standing, there was a diamond woman, holding his knife. Without thinking, he rushed forward, letting to of Krista. The diamond woman spun extravagantly, slamming her palm into Erik's solar plexus and sending him over the edge of the boat. Krista gasped, running to the railing, but was not quiet tall enough.

"Emma... We don't harm our own kind." Schmidt said scoldingly to the woman just as Krista finally managed to get over the edge. When she surfaced she began looking for her dad. She found him mere moments later when she saw him beneath the water. Without thinking she dove under, coaxing Erik back to the surface of the water.

"Are you alright?" he asked once he finished coughing out the water he'd inhaled. She nodded.

"Are _you_?" she countered, hugging him close as she used one hand to hold herself above the water. Erik hugged her back, before letting her go as he moved to slightly deeper water. She followed, treading close as she saw him begin to lift the anchor of the yacht. Krista watched in amazement as it lifted above the highest level of the yacht before he sent it flying through the first level, with an angry swing of his arm. Then he dragged the chain through the walls, effectively levelling the top. With another swing of his arm, the anchor snapped off the chain, falling into the water. There was a whooshing noise below the water, and both Lensherrs saw a submarine disengaging itself from the slowly sinking yacht.

"Grab onto me." Erik ordered, using his metallokinesis again, but he wasn't strong enough to lift it, and they began to move with the submarine, being dragged behind it.

"Let go! You have to let it go!" Erik heard a voice from the Coast Guard ship. Krista looked to him, and he spoke.

"Let go." he ordered. Unwillingly, Krista did.

"Let it _go! You have to let it go!_" the female voice continued to yell pleadingly. Erik couldn't hear, as he'd already gone beneath the surface of the water. Krista watched, surprised, when the woman who had been yelling jumped into the water. It was almost thirty seconds before she came back up, her dad with her.

"Get off me! _Get off_ _me_!" Erik yelled, pushing the woman away as Krista began swimming over.

"Calm down, just breathe! We're here!" the woman called.

"Who are you?" Erik demanded.

"My name's Charlotte Xavier." Right about then was when Krista reached them..

"You were in my head! How did you do that?" he asked hoarsely.

"You have your tricks, I have mine. I am like you! Just_ calm your mind!_" Charlotte said firmly. Erik was quiet, treading water with one arm as he held his daughter to him with the other.

"I thought we were alone.." he said quietly. Charlotte shook her head, continuing to tread water.

"You're not alone. Erik, you and your daughter are not alone." she said, both in their heads and out loud.

It took about a minute, but a rope ladder was lowered for the three to climb onto the ship. Erik insisted Krista go first, and she did, grateful to be out of the cold water. Moira McTaggert was waiting at the top with blankets, but she seemed very surprised when the girl came up. Nevertheless, she was the first to get a thick and warm blanket. She didn't hesitate to throw her arms around Erik once again when he got up.

"You're okay.." she whispered, relieved. He almost smiled as he replied.

"Yes, I am." The undertones of his voice suggested the worry was needless. Krista frowned.

"I only just got you back less than two hours ago. I won't lose you again." she said firmly. Moira looked confused by the situation. Sensing this, Charlotte spoke in her mind.

_/She's his daughter. They've been separated since the girl's mother was killed in a house fire, and were only reunited a few hours ago/_ Moira gave an almost imperceptible nod. "Agent Moira McTaggert." she said, holding her hand out to Erik, who cautiously shook it.

"Erik Lensherr. This is my daughter, Krista." he said, gesturing to the girl that hid slightly behind him, against his body. She didn't appear to want to let go any time soon. Raven came up the stairs, looking half asleep.

"Do I even want to know, Charlotte?" she asked as she set eyes on the destroyed yacht. Krista giggled, but hid behind Erik a bit more, still hugging him with one arm. Raven looked over to her.

"And who might these two be?" she asked, looking between Erik and Krista.

"Erik and Krista Lensherr." Charlotte answered immediately. Krista gasped a moment later, her hand flying to her collarbone.

"My locket! _Vati_, my locket is at Damon's!" she exclaimed. Erik shook his head as he reached to a hidden pocket of some kind in his boot, pulling out a plastic bag with an oval-shaped white gold locket inside. Krista's worried expression instantly dropped, a happy grin replacing it. Once again, she found herself hugging her father tightly before gently taking the golden locket out of the bag. Beckoning her father closer, she opened the inside of the ovular locket, revealing a picture of two-year-old identical twins Heidi and Krista, respectively sitting on Erik and Ava's laps, all of them smiling.

"Mr. Lensherr, I think I can lend your daughter some of my clothes, so that she can be dry." Charlotte offered, unwillingly interrupting the cute moment she was observing. Erik nodded.

_"Gehen Sie mit der Dame._ I'll see you when you come back up." _(Go with the lady._) he said, gently nudging Krista towards Charlotte. She nodded, and let herself be led away by the telepath. Raven held back a chuckle at the expression on Erik's face - a paranoid fatherly look.

"Charlotte doesn't bite." she jokingly promised. This got a slight frown from said metallokenetic before an agent took him downstairs as well, to give him dry clothes.

* * *

"Klaus Schmidt, as you call him, now goes by the alias Sebastian Shaw." the Agent explained to the metal-bender. Erik, Charlotte, Moira, Raven, and said Agent were in some sort of meeting room on the ship. The meeting/briefing was interrupted though, when a timid knock on the door sounded. Erik instantly knew who it was, and used his abilities to open the door. Krista walked in shyly, hesitantly.

"Hello there." Charlotte said. At the same time, she transmitted a thought to Erik. A single word. _/Nightmare/_. Without speaking, Krista darted over to her father, climbing into his lap and burying her tear-stained cheeks into his black turtleneck and leather jacket. With a mental cue from Moira, Charlotte spoke up. "Continue, please."

The agent seemed reluctant, but continued his explanation. When the briefing ended Erik made to put Krista on her feet, but realized she was asleep. Or, mostly. Her eyes looked heavy and tired. Without another thought he picked her up, letting her wrap her arms and legs around him again tightly as Raven led him to where she and his daughter would he sharing a room.

"No!_ Papa, Ich habe Angst." (Daddy, I'm afraid.)_ she exclaimed tearfully as he tried to lay her down on the bed. She refused to let go of the black turtleneck. Erik sighed, sitting down on the bed and pulling Krista into his lap.

_"Es gibt nichts zu befürchten, meine Tochter." (there is nothing to fear, my daughter.)_ He assured her softly, but she shook her head.

"I still see the fire, when I'm asleep." she whimpered. That was the source of her nightmares. The fire that took her parents away from her, one of them however temporarily. _"Ich sehe es jeden Abend, Papa." (I see it every night, daddy.)_ Erik hugged Krista closer, and began quietly singing a German lullaby his mother had sung to him.

_Kommt ein Vogel geflogen,_  
_setzt sich nieder auf mein' Fuß,_  
_hat ein Zettel im Schnabel,_  
_von der Mutter einen Gruß._

_Lieber Vogel, flieg weiter,_  
_nimm ein' Gruß mit und ein' Kuß,_  
_denn ich kann dich nicht begleiten,_  
_weil ich hierbleiben muß._

Krista was asleep before he even finished. Honestly, Erik was surprising himself; for years he'd known nothing but anger, loneliness, pain, and revenge. Then this little ten year old came up out of the blue, and it was like back when he was married to Ava. But Schmidt had taken that slice of happiness away awhile ago.

"What was that?" Raven asked. Erik had completely forgotten about her.

"A lullaby. I'd translate it, but the words are a bit meaningless." he answered as he laid Krista down on the bed, tucking her under the covers and kissing her forehead. _"Ich liebe dich." (I love you._) he whispered before leaving the room.

* * *

_A/N: Once again, not my best work, but cute. Don't go about saying I'm making Erik too OOC, because this is just what I'd picture him as if he weren't obsessed with his revenge against Shaw. I doesn't own XMFC, but I loves it._


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Hello All! I hope at least somebody's reading this. I don't own XMFC. I own Krista and Heidi. AStudyInTeal owns "Charlotte Xavier" as far as I'm concerned, and everything else belongs to Marvel. I think._

* * *

Krista woke in a car the next morning. She looked around cautiously, before she saw familiar faces. "_Guten Morgen Papa." (Good morning daddy.)_ she mumbled, yawning and rubbing her eyes. When she looked, she saw he was lost in his thoughts, looking out the window. She tapped his arm. He looked to her. "_Guten morgen."_ she repeated. He smiled a little bit

"Actually, it's almost afternoon." he corrected, pointing outside. The sun was already high in the sky.

"Oh. Where are we going?" she asked. Erik didn't quite know himself, other than the place was owned and operated by the CIA.

"To that agent's facility." he answered, pointing to the agent, who was driving. Krista nodded in understanding, just as they came up to what was obviously the aforementioned facility. Everybody got out of the car.

"Welcome to my facility. My mission has been to investigate the application of paranormal powers and military defense." the agent began.

"Or offense." Erik added quietly. The agent didn't seem happy about being interrupted.

"This guy Shaw, _Schmidt_, whatever you wanna call him? He's working with the Russians. We might need your help to stop him." he continued.

"Marvelous. So we're to be the CIA's new Mutant division, yes?" Charlotte inquired. The agent hesitated for a moment.

"Something like that." he answered. The group was led through a series of hallways, until they came to a room with a large model plane hanging from the ceiling. Krista's eyes widened excitedly. She loved planes.

"It's, uh, supersonic. The most advanced plane ever built. You should see it in real life. It's incredible." a young man in a lab coat said, looking proudly at the model. Krista grinned.

"Hank, _these_ are the special new recruits I was telling you about. This is Hank McCoy, one of our most talented young researchers." the agent said just as Krista asked "Did you make that?" with a tone of admiration in her voice. Hank nodded.

"How wonderful. Another mutant already here." Charlotte said happily as she shook Hank's hand. "Why didn't you say?" she asked. Hank tensed.

"Say what?" the agent asked. Charlotte's understanding dawned on her face.

"Because you don't know.." she murmured, facing Hank. "I am _so_, so terribly sorry." she said quietly, but Hank just shook his head. The agent walked forward hesitantly.

"Hank?"

"You didn't ask, so I didn't tell.." Hank muttered. Raven came forward now as well.

"So your mutation is what? You're super smart?" she asked. Charlotte was the one to answer her inquiry.

"I'll say. Hank here graduated Harvard at the age of fifteen." Krista stayed quiet for most of this, but looked up to her father, taking his hand nervously. She didn't enjoy being in new places, with a lot of people she didn't know. She trusted Charlotte and Raven though. A lot.

"I wish that's all it was." Hank said quietly.

"You are among friends now, Hank. You can show off." Charlotte prompted with a smile. With a slight look of embarrassment, Hank began removing his shoes and his socks, revealing what looked to be hands, instead of feet. Krista grinned, and Charlotte chuckled slightly. "Splendid." she said at the same time Krista exclaimed "Cool!" loudly. Hank looked to Raven, his face going red when he saw she was smiling, without the slightest trace of disgust on her face.

"Uh, excuse me." he said, and the others backed up in time for him to flip upside down, his feet/hands holding him up from the model. There were amused and cheerful chuckles. Erik's expression was probably the most amusing though.

"Tada.." Hank joked weakly. Raven walked up.

"You're amazing." she said simply, smiling. Hank's face flushed again.

"Really?" he asked. She nodded. Krista piped up again.

"That's so _cool!_" Hank chuckled, dropping to the ground. He slipped his socks and shoes back on, and the mutants were given a tour of the facility. It took the better part of the day. Krista rarely strayed from her father, but when she was not with him, one could find her in the company of Hank or Charlotte.

"So when did you learn about your powers?" Krista asked Charlotte as they sat in the lounge-like room. Charlotte shrugged.

"I don't really know. I think it may have always been there." she answered the drowsy girl. She nodded slowly. "What about you?" Charlotte asked. Krista shrugged.

"The Adams' got me angry. The chandelier started shaking and wobbling, and when I made a fist in my hand, it bent itself into a ball. After that, everything went..." she said quietly, drifting off mid-sentence. Charlotte smiled, picking the girl up and carrying her to her room. Then when she passed a hallway, she saw Erik on the other side.

"Where're you going?" she asked curiously. She didn't want to pry into the man's mind.

"To the gym." he answered. She frowned slightly.

"It's that way," she said, pointing in the direction she was walking in.

"Where're _you_ going?" he countered.

"I'm taking Krista to her room." she replied.

"But her room's right over here." he pointed to the door six feet away from him. She nodded, and walked towards him. With a flick of his wrist, he opened the door, and began walking back the way he'd come.

* * *

Once he'd managed to make it outside, he felt slightly guilty as he walked.

_How can I leave Krista here? I only just found her again yesterday. No, _he shook his head, _it's safer for her this way._

"From what I know about you, I'm surprised you've managed to stay this long." a familiar british voice drawled from behind him. Charlotte Xavier. He stopped walking, turning to face the woman.

"What d'you know about me?" he asked coldly.

"Everything." the telepath replies simply. He was quiet a moment.

"Then you should know to stay out of my head." he growled. He began to walk away again.

"What about Krista? She'll be devastated to lose you again." Charlotte called, halting his step again. _That was a low-blow_, he growled in his thoughts. "I'm sorry, Erik, but I've seen what Shaw did to you, and your family. I've _felt_ your agony. I can help you. _Let_ me help you." she pleaded. He turned to face the upset-looking woman.

"I don't need help-"

"-Don't kid yourself, you needed my help last night!" she snipped, hiding the irrational surge of hurt she felt. "It's not just me and your daughter you're walking away from, here. Here, you have the chance to be part of something much bigger than yourself. Don't throw it away. Together, we can help the others out there, the others of our kind. You may even find Heidi." There was a short silence. "I won't stop you from leaving, Erik. I _could," And oh, how I wish I would,_ "but I won't." she said, before turning around, walking back to the building. "Shaw's got friends. You could do with a few more." she called over her shoulder, leaving Erik outside.

* * *

_A/N: So, what do you think? I blatantly refuse to update until I get at least two reviews_


	4. Chapter 4

Krista woke early, wandering around the facility until she came across Charlotte, who was just entering the agent's office. When offered, she unsurely entered with her. She stayed lost in thought through most of the two adults' conversation, until a familiar voice jolted her back to earth.

"What if the mutants don't want to be found by you?" Erik asked. Krista jumped.

"Erik, you decided to stay." Charlotte stated happily. Krista looked between Erik and Charlotte, understanding in her eyes. She was a smart girl, and she knew what the telepath meant. The metal in the room shuddered, before becoming motionless.

"I have to go to the bathroom." she stated, running out of the room quickly, shutting the door behind her. Charlotte's expression turned pained as she felt the powerful waves of _hurt-sad-why_ rolling off the girl's conscious mind. Her most prominent thought was, _He was going to leave me here?_  
Erik sighed, thinking_ I'll talk to her later_, before he spoke. "If a new species is being discovered, it should be by its own kind. Charlotte, Krista, and myself find the mutants. No suits." he said firmly. Charlotte wanted to say something, but she felt his guilt about almost leaving his daughter, and remained quiet until she was put on the spot.

"First of all, that's my machine out there, and second of all, more importantly, this is Miss Xavier's decision, and she's fine with the CIA being involved, right?"

She hesitated. Until she got the message Erik transmitted into her mind. He had a point. "No. I'm with Erik on this. Think about it. If a mutant finds themselves surrounded by CIA agents, they'll panic. But if two or three of their own kind come..." she trailed off. The agent reluctantly nodded. Erik spoke then.

"If neither of you mind, I'll be going now." he said sharply, walking out of the room.

* * *

It took a little while of asking around and wandering before Erik found Krista in Raven's room. She was curled up in the young woman's lap. He knocked on the doorjamb. Both girls looked up, and Krista's eyes had traces of sadness and betrayal in them.

"You mind if I borrow her for awhile?" he asked quietly. Raven shook her head, and Krista walked up to Erik, allowing herself to be led out of the room and into her own. The first thing Erik did was hug her tightly. The second thing he did was say, "I'm sorry. I know that isn't nearly enough of an apology, but I'm sorry."

Krista was quiet, merely tightening her arms around Erik.

"_Why_?" she whispered. Her voice was thick with unshed tears.

"I... I was going after Shaw. I thought it would be better for you to stay here, where you would be safe, instead of gallivanting around the world, going after Shaw. I wasn't thinking clearly." he murmured. "It was stupid of me."

"Yes, it was." she agreed, a shaky laugh passing her lips. "But you're not the only one who wants Shaw gone... _Ich sah ihn töten Mama. So tat Heidi." (I saw him kill Mama. So did Heidi)_ she added, tears dripping from the corners of her eyes. Sighing sadly, Erik hugged Krista closer to him.

"Do you forgive me?" he asked. Krista smiled and nodded. She liked being treated like an adult. In the eyes of the world, she was certainly smart enough to be considered one in a kid's body.

"Yeah."

"Okay, let's go, then." he said, taking Krista's hand as they went to where the agent was leading Charlotte and Raven outside, towards the golf-ball shaped building on the grounds. The agent waited at the bottom of the stairs while the mutants made their way up. Charlotte was the first person up, Raven, Erik, and Krista following soon after, seeing Hank working on powering up the machine.

"I call it Cerebro. As in the Spanish for 'brain'." Hank began explaining. Krista tuned it out as Charlotte walked onto the slightly elevated platform in the centre of the spherical room, putting the strange helmet on her head.

"What an adorable lab rat you make, Charlotte." Erik commented teasingly. Krista giggled.

"Don't spoil this for me, Erik." Charlotte replied. She was trying not to laugh.

"Oh, I've been a lab rat. I know one when I see one." Erik said, amused, as Hank came forward, connecting a few wires. Then Krista became concerned.

"It's not gonna hurt her, is it?" she asked worriedly. Hank shook his head, before looking to Charlotte.

"Are you sure we can't shave your head?"

"Don't touch my hair." Charlotte said sternly, her smile ruining the effect. Hank and Erik chuckled, and Hank started powering up the machine.  
_'If something goes wrong, I'm breaking this thing.'_ the metalbender stated bluntly in his head. Charlotte smiled, knowing he was serious. Erik's face showed his concern, as Raven and Krista's did when Charlotte gasped, her hands flying the handrails. They were unsure if it was pained or amazed, but that quickly became clear when Charlotte's mouth split into a smile as she let out an awestruck laugh. The coordinates to each mutant she located were printed out on a large sheet of paper.

"It's working!" Hank exclaimed excitedly.

* * *

And so their journey began as they trekked about the country to recruit. It was rather fun, if Charlotte was honest. She was enjoying the opportunity to get to know Erik Lensherr better and he seemed to now somewhat trust her, after she had sided with him against the director back at the CIA division. After only really having Raven as a friend for most of her life, it was wonderful to have the chance to befriend someone new. Well, two someone's, actually. Krista was an interesting and funny girl.

"I'm just gonna be smart and say I'm staying in the car for this one?" she suggested when she saw the place they pulled up to. A strip club. Erik nodded sternly as Charlotte and himself went inside.

* * *

For Charlotte, it was vaguely uncomfortable to be in a club with Erik, even if it was to find a mutant, but at the same time she was glad he was with her as well. When another patron of the club eyed her lewdly, Erik saw it as well as she and merely offered her his arm.  
Glad for the offer, she stepped closer and tucked her hand into his elbow. This did the trick and seemed to ward off any men looking for any other such trouble. Once in the private booth, their mutant leveled them with a look.

"Look, you know it's double for both right?"

"That won't be necessary," Charlotte said after a sip of wine.

"No," Erik agreed, "We were thinking more…we'll show you ours if you show us yours."

"Baby, that is _not_ how it works around here," she replied impatiently. "And I'm surprised your girlfriend would agree to that." She chuckled.

"More wine, if you please, Erik?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied and snapped his fingers, levitating the ice bucket into the air to reach the bottle. The mutant grinned at them as he refilled her glass.

"My turn," she said, and then unstrapped the back of her top. Charlotte smiled when she saw the wing-like tattoos on the woman's arms rise up and become solid. She hovered a few feet in the air, a smile on her tanned face.

"How would you like a job where you get to keep your clothes on?"

* * *

When the two entered the car again, they had the woman behind them. Krista smiled.

"Krista, Angel. Angel, Erik's daughter Krista." Charlotte briefly introduced. The car ride after that was mostly occupied with Krista talking and laughing, and sharing stories.

"...And there was this one little girl, she was maybe five, and she had it set in her mind that she was going to marry one of the daycare boys. She told this to everybody, including the boy, and he freaked out, denying it. She didn't like that. She stormed right up to him, and she said _'We're getting married whether you like it or not!_'." She said, explaining one of the many amusing memories she had. Angel laughed so hard her sides hurt.

"Well that's how you get through to a man, you tell him what's happening, and you don't let him argue about it." she snickered. Angel found the girl funny, and interesting. Her first impression was that she was just a regular ten year old, as she catalogued her appearance; blonde hair, fair skin, blue eyes, thin figure. She'd been expecting her to be the average girl, but she was smarter, and more mature than most, as she quickly saw. Her eyes zeroed in on a silver locket dangling from the girl's neck, and she spoke up.

"That's a beautiful necklace." she commented. Krista smiled and opened the locket, showing off the tiny picture of her family.

"Thank you. Vati gave it to me on my birthday, when I turned three. Heidi has the same one, with the same picture." she explained. She pointed to Ava. "That's my mama." she said, her face growing sad. Angel, oblivious, asked, "What happened to her?"

"The man we're trying to stop killed her." she said bluntly, going silent. Angel wished she hadn't asked.

"I'm sorry." she murmured. Krista shook her head.

* * *

It was only a few hours after they reached their hotel that they were departing again, to find another mutant.

"Who are we finding now Vati?" Krista asked as they got back into the car.

"I'm not quite sure. He's a taxi driver, but that's all I know." he responded to the best of his ability. They didn't stop driving until they reached the city.

"Where to lovebirds, and little lady?" the taxi driver asked as Erik, Krista, and Charlotte climbed into the back of the cab. This was their guy. Charlotte recognized him.

"Richmond, Virginia, please." Charlotte said. He raised an eyebrow.

"So, do you want the airport, the train station...?" he trailed off.

"No, we were rather hoping you would take us all the way." Erik said. Darwin gave him a disbelieving look.

"That's a six hour drive." he said, almost warningly. Erik smirked then.

"That will give us plenty of time to talk." he said, flipping the switch that counted the money that needed to be paid. Darwin's eyes flicked to said switch.

He grinned at them in the mirror and turned to introduce himself.

"Armando Muñoz."

"Erik and Krista Lehnsherr and Professor Charlotte Xavier, not lovebirds." Charlotte replied. He just chuckled as he started the car.

* * *

"Charlotte, look at all the fish!" Krista said, amazed. Charlotte laughed and nodded.

"It's amazing." she agreed. Krista went to go use the bathroom at about the same time a redheaded teenage boy entered. He walked up right next to Charlotte.

"Crazy, huh? You like fish, I like fish too. Maybe we should get a bite sometime, talk about it."  
Charlotte glanced at the redhead beside her. "Actually, I'd much rather talk about mutation and, more specifically what it allows you to do."

He stared for a long moment. "Um..."

"We can still grab a bite, if you want," she said. "But I'm afraid my friend Erik here, and his daughter will be coming along too."  
Erik gave him a look over her shoulder that clearly said, Don't try to flirt anymore. Charlotte grinned.

* * *

Krista held Erik's hand tightly as they were led through the high-security prison.

"What the hell does the government want with a guy like Alex Summers?" the warden muttered incredulously. He looked to the two adults. "I hope you're not planning on putting him with others. This is the first guy I know who actually _prefers_ solitary confinement." he said as he opened the door to their mutant's cell. Alex looked up, surprised when the three mutants entered the room.

* * *

"Krista, you're waiting in here for this one as well, I'm afraid." Charlotte said as she and Erik exited the car, looking towards the pub. Krista nodded, wrinkling her nose at the smells that came out when the door opened.

"Excuse me, I'm Erik Lehnsherr." Erik stated.

"And I'm Charlotte Xavier," she continued, standing behind a gruff-looking man smoking a cigar in the seedy pub.

"Go fuck yourself," he said bluntly, but then glanced at them, eyes lingering on her. "Although, sweetheart, if you wanted to ditch your boyfriend here, I'd be happy to have you for company tonight."

She rolled her eyes. "No thank you, Mr Logan," she told him with a sarcastic tone, "I've already got wonderful company tonight." She turned on her heel with Erik only a step behind.

Once in their rented car, he commented, "You know, I'm noticing a pattern." She chuckled under her breath.

"As am I. But we're a man and a woman travelling together with a ten year old girl. People naturally assume things." That still wasn't an excuse, but, she supposed, there were far more advantages to travelling with the two Lensherr's than there were downsides. Krista just gave them confused looks.

* * *

Charlotte sighed as she sank into the bed in the hotel suite she and the Lensherr's were sanctioned in for the night. It had been a long week of recruiting, and she was tired. She smiled slightly though, when something caught her eye on the bookshelf against the wall. A chess set. Standing up, she reached up to grab it, but frowned as she missed it by a few inches.

A light chuckle reached her ears and a long arm reached over her head, pulling the chess set out. She nodded her thanks.

"Do you play?" she asked.

He nodded. "I do. White or black?"

"I have no preference," she replied, settling into a chair at the table. The metallokinetic went to a cupboard and withdrew a bottle of scotch and two tumblers.

"A drink?" Erik offered. Charlotte smirked.

"Chess, clever conversation, and scotch?" she laughed. "A man after my own heart." Erik rolled his eyes and poured the scotch, but his eyes glinted with amusement.

"You can be white," he decided. "You might need the advantage." The pieces, made of pewter, he arranged with a wave of his hand, gently pulling the king out of Charlotte's hand. She grinned at that, always pleased to see an other's abilities.

"You wish," she replied with a smirk as she knocked back the tumbler. So they began their game while Krista slept in the second bedroom of the  
suite.

* * *

Charlotte, in Oxford, had been fairly well known.

After all, there were not that many women in Oxford and certainly very few with her intellect and dedication. She was known for her brilliance in genetics and many predicted a bright future for her in that field.

Academics aside, Charlotte was also a bit famous as a flirt in pubs. She had most certainly dated before, though never for more than several months.

The telepath was recognized for her enjoyment of a pint at the pub, her love for flirting, and sometimes even a bit more than just that in a night.  
Despite how often she and Raven went out for a drink, Charlotte was not known for her tolerance for alcohol. That tolerance (or, rather, her lack thereof) came back to bite her several times in her years at Oxford, usually in the form of finding she had spent the night with someone. It also came back to bite her that evening on their cross-country scavenger hunt for mutant recruits.

She woke around three in the morning to find herself sprawled on a hotel bed, half-dressed, beside a familiar person.

Erik was still asleep, snoring softly into her hair, in a similar state as she. He was on his stomach, shirtless, and smelled of the scotch they had shared.

Her fuzzy recollections of that night ended somewhere around the time of opening a second bottle of scotch. Careful not to wake her friend (paramour?), Charlotte slipped from the bed and took in the room around her. Their second chess match had not finished, though it looked as if Erik would have checkmate in five moves, and the second scotch bottle was empty.

She paused to fix her hiked-up skirt and to button her shirt. With hands she did not allow to tremble, the telepath collected the chess set and slipped out of Erik's room to return to her own. Charlotte was unsure if anything had actually happened, but she didn't want to hang around when Erik woke up, honestly fearing his reaction.

* * *

_A/N: So, I changed my mind about updating. I love this fic too much. Most of the recruiting bit was written by AStudyInTeal in her fic A Thousand Years, and I had their permission to use the last bit. Sorry if it's not very creative, I just didn't know how to write it out. Plus, I'm on my phone, so... Yeah. I don't own. I only own Krista at the moment. Please? Just one good review? PLEASE? I don't own XMFC._


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Boo! Two updates in one day, for the people who favourited, but DIDN'T REVIEW... I don't own._

* * *

"So, we should introduce ourselves, and how we got our mutations and all that stuff." Raven said, breaking the heavy silence that reigned over the recruits in the lounge room. They nodded their agreement. "I'll go first. I'm Raven, Charlotte's foster sister, and,my abilities came when I was six years old." she said. Nobody offered themselves to go next.

"What about you, Krista?" she asked. Krista jumped, not expecting to be called on.

"Um, I'm Krista Lensherr, Erik's daughter-"

"You mean the scary dude that kept glaring at me while we ate?" Sean butted in. Krista couldn't help but laugh and nod.

"Yes, I'm his daughter. I've had my abilities for seven years, since I was three, but I kept them well hidden until Vati found me again in Miami." she said, her smile growing fonder.

"Again?" Hank inquired. Krista nodded.

"Well, like I said, my abilities came when I was three, because of a traumatizing experience. You know about Shaw, right?" They nodded. "Me and my twin sister watched him murder my mom in cold blood, and tried to burn the house down with us inside. We were taken to an Orphanage, because the people thought Vati was dead too, and I was adopted within three months. The family I lived with lived in Miami, but when they found out about the stuff I can do..." she trailed off.

"Yeah. When he found me, I was actually gonna leave them, I was so mad. Then everything else happened with the CIA. Hey, I just realized something. I'm the only ten year old I know that's actually working with the CIA." That got laughs out of everybody. "Okay, now I pick, and I pick... Angel! How and when did you get your powers?" she asked excitedly. And so began the mutant bonding...

* * *

"We should have codenames. We're government agents now, we should have secret codenames." Raven spoke up, breaking the silence once again. "I wanna be called Mystique."

"Damn, I wanted to be called Mys_tique_." Sean whined, putting emphasis on the last syllable. Everybody laughed.

"Well, too bad, I called it." Suddenly, Raven turned into Sean with a blue wave-like current across her body. Everybody jumped back a little bit, surprised. "And I'm way more mysterious than you." Raven stated in Sean's voice, before turning back into herself.

"What about you, Krista?" Angel asked. Krista suddenly turned self-conscious.

"Um... I, uh, I'll just show you, if I can.." she muttered, looking for something metal. She opted for the frame of Alex's chair. Mustering up her every ounce of concentration, she lifted her hands, and the chair moved with it slightly. "Wait! I can do this!" she said firmly as somebody attempted to talk.

She closed her eyes, thinking of things that made her angry.

_Erik, in pain as Frost attacked his mind. Schmidt. Her anti-mutant adoptive parents, all the horrible names they called her..  
_  
She opened her eyes again, sufficiently fueled, and lifted Alex's chair three feet off the ground, lowering it just as quickly. Suddenly, she felt tired.

"I'm going to bed." she stated, yawning. She quickly hugged Raven and Angel - they bonded most with her, other than Charlotte and Erik - and walked out of the room drowsily.

* * *

She was woken from her sleep by a loud crash. Her eyes snapped open. She wasn't very groggy, so she knew she'd only been out of it for a little while. She got to her feet, walking to the door. What was that? she thought worriedly. She walked towards the source of the noise, just as a door beside her opened.

"The plane leaves for Russia in an hour." Moira stated as she walked out. She bumped into Krista, who jumped.

"I'm telling you, they're not ready for Shaw." Erik stated. Krista picked up on the conversation.

"We're going to Russia to fight Shaw?" she asked as she began walking with them. Then they reached the courtyard, and were shocked by what they saw.

The window was shattered, the statue was cut in half, the rec room was trashed. Hank was hanging from the ceiling, Angel was flying, Raven was dancing_ (and possibly drunk)_, and the other two boys were testing out the strength of the chairs by hitting Darwin with them.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Moira shouted, killing the party mood instantly. They looked over to the three adults, surprised and ashamed."Who destroyed the statue?" she demanded.

"It was Alex." Hank said instantly. Alex sent him a disbelieving look.

"It's Havok. Alex's new name is _Havok_." Raven said, stumbling towards the broken window. "And, we were thinking, you should be Professor X," she pointed to her foster sister, then to Erik and Krista "_You_ should be _Magneto_, and Krista should be _Metalla_." She grinned a moment later.

"Exceptional." Erik said, his tone saying that it was anything but, walking away with Krista. Charlotte gave the teens a disappointed look.

"I expect more from you." she said to Raven, before following Moira, Erik, and Krista.

* * *

"Am I going with you? To Russia?" Krista asked quietly, almost an hour later, as the soldiers got ready to leave. Erik deliberated for a moment, looking to Charlotte and Moira.

_It'll be too dangerous_. Charlotte thought to him, shaking her head. He sighed.

"No, _Liebling_. I'm sorry, but if we're going to be fighting Shaw..." he trailed off for a moment. _"Ich will _nicht_, meine Tochter in der Mitte von." (I will _not_ have my daughter in the middle of it.)_ He finished. Krista's face fell, but she nodded her head.

"I'm gonna go help clean up. I may not have done any of it, but I want to help." she said, before walking away, back to the rec room.

* * *

"Um, Alex, what is that thing?" Krista asked, looking pointedly to the pinball machine he was using.

"You've never seen a pinball machine before?" Darwin asked, surprised. She shook her head, her hair motionless in the French braid Raven had insisted upon putting in her hair.

"The Adams' never let me play games like this." she said, anger in her tone.

"Jesus man, you are killing me!" Darwin exclaimed, his eye catching the number of points Alex had gotten so far. Said blonde smirked.

"Don't beat yourself up, I've had a lot of spare time." he replied. Krista lost interest then, returning to her soda on the table. Two agents walked by moments later.

"Oh, I didn't know the circus was in town!" the first agent sneered. He looked to Angel. "Hey honey, why don't you show us a little.." He imitated wings fluttering, earning an angry glare from Krista.

"Lass sie in Ruhe, du Arschloch!" (Leave her alone, you bastard!) she yelled. She was ignored.

"How about the foot?" he looked to Hank, who was standing up. "That's right, come on bigfoot- ack!"

Out of seemingly nowhere, he fell over. Krista smirked then. She sighed gleefully, and Hank pressed the button to close the curtains. Angel looked disheartened.

"They're just guys, being stupid." Raven tried to comfort her. Then Krista realized she just did the thing she was told to never do. She was shocked, when she realized that she didn't care that it was bad.

"Guys being stupid I can handle, okay? I've handled that my whole life. But, I'd rather a bunch of guys stare at me with my clothes off than the way _they_ stare at me." she said cooly, anger in her eyes.

"At us.." Krista corrected sadly.

There was a muffled noise from outside, that sounded like a whoosh of air. Nobody paid any mind to it until they heard a resounding thud that followed.

"What was that?" Darwin asked. The others shrugged. Suddenly Krista got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something bad was gonna happen soon. There were more noises, and everybody tensed.

"I dunno, something doesn't feel right." Everybody stood up as Darwin opened the curtains. They didn't see anything, but they heard another few noises. Something told Krista to look up, and she did.

"Watch the skies." she said cautiously. There was another whoosh of air, and something appeared in front of the moon. "There!" she exclaimed, and one of the shapes disappeared. The other began falling to the ground. None of the girls could contain their screams when an agent landed, dead, on the ground in front of them. Everybody leapt back slightly. The searchlights went up, and more agents fell from the sky. Every time one landed in front of the window, there were little screams.

Many agents ran out in body armor, carrying guns.

"Get back! Do _not_ leave that room! We're under attack!" one of them ordered. They obeyed, backing up against the wall as the gunfire began. A red devil-looking man appeared in a puff of black smoke, disappearing a moment later. He reappeared next to an agent, dispatching him and using his gun to shoot out the windows of the kids' lounge. Darwin stood protectively in front of them. To their right, a tornado formed, completely destroying Cerebro. The red devil man continued dispatching the soldiers.

" _'Stay here' my ass!_ Let's go!" Darwin yelled. The mutants ran towards the door. Once they made it a little ways down the hallc they were stopped by armed agents.

"Wait, we can help!" Raven yelled, as they grabbed her. Then a loud explosion went off further down the hallway, where the main atrium was. Krista screamed fearfully, taking a hold of the person nearest to her, who happened to be Alex, and they ran back into the lounge fearfully. The tornado grew ever closer, and the red devil had few agents left to fight. Raven began crying as she saw each agent killed gruesomely by the red devil.  
The tornado picked up a stray agent, sending him through the window of the lounge. The girls screamed once again, and Krista held onto Alex for dear life. Raven let out quiet sobs, unable to hold them back. The mutants gathered together, in the middle of the wall as a hispanic mutant walked through, where the tornado had been, and the red devil walked through the other one.

There were gunshots from behind the door.

"Wait! You want the mutants? They're right through that door! Just let us _normal_ people go! We're no-"

The coward's words cut off with a thud. A feeling of betrayal coursed through each of the mutants, and a man that made their skin crawl walked into the room.

* * *

_A/N: Cliffy, even though you all know who it is._


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Sorry for the lateness, writers block ate me up. I don't own XMFC_

* * *

Krista glared at the man who'd entered the destroyed lounge balefully.

"Where's the telepath?" he asked the red devil.

"Not here." he answered in heavily accented English.

"Too bad. Well, at least I can take this silly thing off..." The man then removed the strange helmet he'd been wearing, handing it to the Hispanic mutant. "Good evening. My name is Sebastian Shaw. And I am not here to hurt you."

Krista didn't bother hiding the scoff in her throat. A random agent appeared in the courtyard.

"Freeze!" he yelled. Shaw didn't look put out in the slightest.

"Azazel, if you wouldn't mind." he said quietly. The red mutant nodded, disappearing and reappearing behind the agent, killing him. Shaw slowly walked towards the mutants. With every step he took, the metal in the room twitched ever-so-slightly.

"My friends, there is a revolution coming, where mankind discovers what we are, and what we can do. When that day comes, we will all come to a choice; be enslaved, or rise up to rule. Choose freely, but know that you are not with us, than by definition you are _against_ us." None of the young mutants said a word.

"So, you can either fight for the people who hate and fear you," he allowed a dramatic pause in his sentence. "Or you can join me, and live like _Kings_... and _Queens_..."

"Oh please. You spouted that same load of crap to my mother just before you killed her!" Krista retorted. Shaw looked down to the girl, and a fake smile contorted his face.

"Krista Lensherr. Es ist schon eine lange Zeit, mein lieber." (It's been a long time, my dear.) he said, kneeling down a bit. Krista curled her lips back in a snarl. Without warning a metal cup flew from the counter, smashing into the back of Shaw's head.

"You're just like them.." he sighed. Krista looked at him, narrowing her eyes.

_"Wer ist 'sie'?"(who is 'them'?)_ She asked.

_"Liebe kleine Wanda und Pietro Lensherr."(Dear little Wanda and Pietro Lensherr.)_ He said nothing more, holding his hand out. Angel took it, and she began walking.

"Angel, are you kidding me?" Sean demanded, hurt in his voice.

"Come on. We don't belong here, and that's nothing to be ashamed of." she said quietly. Nobody moved, and Krista bared her teeth, absolute fury in her eyes. The rogue mutants walked out of the broken window frame.

"We have to do something.." Raven said quietly. The others nodded their agreement, and Darwin got a strange look in his eyes. He looked to Alex.

"Cover me when I give you the signal." he whispered to the other man. He almost shook his head, but Darwin gave him a light push, as if urging him. He shoved back, before sighing and nodding minutely. "Stop." The mutants looked back as Darwin walked forwards. "I'm coming with you."

Shaw smirked, and Angel looked pleased.

"So tell me about your mutation." he suggested as the group of younger mutants edged closer to the door.

"Well I adapt to survive," The mutants were in the middle of the room now. "So I guess I'm coming with you."

"I like that." Shaw said, satisfied. He patted Darwin's shoulder. He walked over to stand next to Angel.

"Alex..." Darwin started.

"Get out!" Alex yelled, and the other mutants ran for the door.

"Do it!"

Darwin then grabbed Angel, using his body as a protective shield as Alex unleashed his power. Surprising everyone, Shaw absorbed the lethal energy.

"Protecting your fellow mutants? That's a noble gesture. Feels good." Shaw said, and he turned to face Darwin. Krista instantly knew that would be trouble.

"Duck, Darwin!" she called, and Azazel's swords were suddenly flinging towards Shaw. While he was distracted, she pulled Darwin back into the demolished lounge by his belt and watch. Shaw now looked very irritated, as he took a single step back into the lounge.

Without a word, he conjured two orbs of Alex's deadly energy, hurling one at Krista, the other at Darwin. Alex knew his energy was lethal, and not even Darwin would be able to adapt, but on the other hand, Erik would tear them to shreds if anything happened to Krista. It all happened in a moment, out of nowhere Azazel's tail was around his neck, preventing any kind of movement. Darwin was unable to dodge, and the orb flew straight down his throat.

Krista's fearful eyes were locked on Alex, not even knowing the orb of energy was about to hit her in the chest.

And then it did, and she flew backwards into the bar/counter. Azazel released Alex and returned to the others, teleporting them away in an instant.

Alex looked to Darwin, and saw that his body was adapting, but...not to survive, to _contain_. If Darwin's body tried to survive, the entire place would go down around him, but he'd survive. On the other hand, if his body contained the blast, the others would survive. He knew this, and so did Alex. Darwin smiled at his friend just as his body crumbled into ash.

"Krista!" Raven screamed as she ran back into the room, running over to the unconscious girl just as Alex picked her up. Without needing to be told, the other two boys set one of the upturned couches right-side-up in time for Alex to lay the bleeding girl down.

Hank quickly checked for a pulse, relieved when he found one, before sending Sean off to get a blanket. With a mental apology, he lifted Krista's shirt, and the three in the room grimaced; where the energy had hit her, there was now a hole in Krista's chest. Much to their relief, though, there was no damage to her heart or lungs. That doesn't mean she wasn't bleeding, and Hank quickly began trying to staunch said bleeding. He gasped though, when the torn muscles and flesh began mending itself, until all that was left of the viscious wound was a pink scar.

"Woah..." Sean exclaimed quietly, having just returned.

"Raven, can you spare a shirt?" Hank asked quietly, gesturing to the burnt hole in Krista's. The woman nodded, rushing off. Alex covered Krista with the blanket, and she stirred slightly, but did not regain consciousness. Upon Raven's return, the boys left the room so she could change Krista's shirt.

_Please be okay.. _Raven thought as she re-covered Krista, and the boys re-entered.

* * *

Krista didn't regain consciousness for many hours, until the sun was up, around 9:30 in the morning.

"What happened? Where's Darwin?" she asked the moment she awoke. Nobody had time to answer, as the sound of a car screeching to a halt reached their ears. Moments later, Charlotte came into view. Raven stood up, stumbling over to her sister.

"Raven!" Charlotte's voice was laced with relief as she embraced her adoptive sister in a hug. Erik and Moira also quickly appeared.

"Dad!" Krista cried out, running over to her father. He instantly knelt down, lifting his daughter into his arms. She winced slightly, and it did not go unnoticed by him. He didn't have time to ask before his daughter began crying into his shoulder.

"Hush, Krista. _Alles wird in Ordnung sein. Du bist jetzt in Sicherheit." (Hush, Krista. Everything will be okay. You're safe now.)_ Erik whispered, trying to calm Krista.

"S-Shaw killed Darwin!" she whimpered, tightening her hold around Erik's neck, though not to the point of choking him.

"We've made arrangements for you all to be taken home immediately." Charlotte said to the older mutants.

"We're not going home." Alex stated, determined.

"What?"

"Alex can't go back to prison." Sean clarified. Charlotte was surprised by the sheer volumes of determination the children were emanating.

"Shaw killed Darwin, and he tried to kill Krista." Alex growled.

"Which is exactly why you should leave, so no more of you get hurt. I'm sorry, but this is over." Charlotte replied.

"Darwin's dead, Charlotte." Raven repeated. "And we can't even bury him." The mutants' faces fell.

"We can avenge him." Erik said forcefully. Every person within earshot turned to look at him, and Charlotte was not pleased.

"Erik, a word please."

Slowly, Krista removed her arms from around her father's neck as he set her on her feet, and she went to sit down next to Sean and Alex while Charlotte and Erik spoke.

"They're just kids," Charlotte began to protest.

"No, they were just kids." Erik corrected. _Other than Krista,_ he mentally amended. "Shaw has his army, we need ours."

She shook her head. "Erik, I'll _not_ make these children into soldiers to fight in a war that they cannot properly fight."

"Train them then," he replied. _You know I'm right,_ he thought to her. _We can't fight Shaw alone._

She turned back to the children and Moira, all looking to her hopefully. Charlotte sighed. "We'll have to train," she decided. "All of us. Yes?" She got small nods from everybody.

"But we can't stay here," Hank said. "Even if they reopen the department, it's not safe. We've got nowhere to go."

A smile curled Charlotte's lip. "Yes we do. Tell me. How do you feel about New York?"

* * *

_A/N: Aaand, that wraps up another chapter._


End file.
